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Trial registered on ANZCTR
Registration number
ACTRN12613000989741
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
3/09/2013
Date registered
5/09/2013
Date last updated
28/10/2016
Type of registration
Prospectively registered
Titles & IDs
Public title
The effects of kiwifruit supplementation on neutrophil and sperm function in young adult males low in vitamin C: implications for immunity and fertility
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Scientific title
The effects of kiwifruit supplementation on neutrophil and sperm function in young adult males low in vitamin C: implications for immunity and fertility
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Secondary ID [1]
283128
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None
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Universal Trial Number (UTN)
U111-1146-5950
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Trial acronym
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Linked study record
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Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Immunity
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Fertility
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Condition category
Condition code
Inflammatory and Immune System
290353
290353
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0
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Normal development and function of the immune system
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Reproductive Health and Childbirth
290354
290354
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0
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Fertility including in vitro fertilisation
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Diet and Nutrition
290369
290369
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0
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Other diet and nutrition disorders
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Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
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Description of intervention(s) / exposure
Participants will be supplemented with two export-grade gold kiwifruit/day for four weeks. Compliance will be monitored by measuring plasma vitamin C levels every week.
An extension period will comprise supplementation with 250 mg/d vitamin C tablets for two months. Compliance will be determined by counting remaining tablets.
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Intervention code [1]
287849
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Other interventions
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Comparator / control treatment
No control group
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Control group
Uncontrolled
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Outcomes
Primary outcome [1]
290385
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Neutrophil function:
- apoptosis quantified by double staining of cells with propidium iodide and Annexin V-FITC, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)
- bacterial killing by neutrophils cocultured with S. aureus and measuring loss of bacterial colony-forming units using the fluorescent membrane potential dye DiOC2
- neutrophil chemotaxis assayed using Falcon Fluoroblok inserts and a fluorescence plate reader
- neutrophil extracellular traps production measured using the membrane impermeable DNA binding dye Syntox Green and fluorescence microscopy
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Assessment method [1]
290385
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Timepoint [1]
290385
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pre- and post-intervention (4 weeks)
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Primary outcome [2]
290386
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Sperm function:
- WHO fertility criteria e.g. volume, count, motility, vitality
- metabolic activity of mitochondria measured using a Seahorse XF extracellular analyser
- oxidative stress determined by oxidative state of peroxiredoxins measured using SDS-PAGE and western blotting
- sperm chromatin structure assay measured using FACS
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Assessment method [2]
290386
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Timepoint [2]
290386
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Pre-intervention, post-intervention (4 weeks) and post vitamin C tablet supplementation period (3 months)
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Primary outcome [3]
290387
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Vitamin C content of plasma, neutrophils and semen measured using HPLC with electrochemical detection
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Assessment method [3]
290387
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Timepoint [3]
290387
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Pre-intervention and post-intervention (4 weeks) for plasma, neutrophil and semen vitamin C levels, and post vitamin C tablet supplementation period (3 months) for plasma and seminal vitamin C levels only
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Secondary outcome [1]
304391
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General health (SF-36 questionnaire)
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Assessment method [1]
304391
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Timepoint [1]
304391
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Pre- and post-intervention (4 weeks)
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Secondary outcome [2]
304436
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Urate and allantoin content of plasma and semen measured using UHPLC with stable isotope dilution mass spectrometry
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Assessment method [2]
304436
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Timepoint [2]
304436
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Pre- and post-intervention (4 weeks)
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Secondary outcome [3]
304437
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Myeloperoxidase content of plasma and semen measured using ELISA
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Assessment method [3]
304437
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Timepoint [3]
304437
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Pre- and post-intervention (4 weeks)
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Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Male aged 18-35 years
Non-smoker
Plasma vitamin C <50 umol/L
Residing in Christchurch for the duration of the study
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Minimum age
18
Years
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Maximum age
35
Years
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Sex
Males
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Can healthy volunteers participate?
Yes
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Key exclusion criteria
allergy/intollerance to kiwifruit
recent smoker (within previous year)
taking vitamin C supplements (within past 3 months)
taking prescription medication (within past 3 months)
excessive alcohol consumption (>21 std drinks/week)
high fruit and vegetable consumption (>5 servings/d)
diabetes mellitus
bleeding disorgers
fainting due to fear of needles
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Study design
Purpose of the study
Educational / counselling / training
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Allocation to intervention
Non-randomised trial
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Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
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Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
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Masking / blinding
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Who is / are masked / blinded?
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Intervention assignment
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Other design features
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Phase
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Type of endpoint/s
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Statistical methods / analysis
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Recruitment
Recruitment status
Completed
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Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
1/10/2013
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Actual
15/10/2013
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Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
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Actual
11/12/2013
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Date of last data collection
Anticipated
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Actual
17/02/2014
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Sample size
Target
18
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Accrual to date
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Final
14
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Recruitment outside Australia
Country [1]
5354
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New Zealand
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State/province [1]
5354
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Canterbury
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Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1]
287879
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Government body
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Name [1]
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Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)
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Address [1]
287879
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33 Bowen Street, Wellington 6011
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Country [1]
287879
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New Zealand
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Funding source category [2]
287880
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Commercial sector/Industry
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Name [2]
287880
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Zespri International Ltd
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Address [2]
287880
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PO Box 4043
400 Maunganui Road
Mount Maunganui 3149
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Country [2]
287880
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New Zealand
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Primary sponsor type
University
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Name
University of Otago, Christchurch
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Address
PO Box 4345
2 Riccarton Avenue
Christchurch 8140
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Country
New Zealand
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Secondary sponsor category [1]
286606
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None
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Name [1]
286606
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Address [1]
286606
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Country [1]
286606
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Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
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Ethics committee name [1]
296204
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Health and Disability Ethics Committees
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Ethics committee address [1]
296204
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C/- MEDSAFE, Level 6, Deloitte House 10 Brandon Street PO Box 5013 Wellington
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Ethics committee country [1]
296204
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New Zealand
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Date submitted for ethics approval [1]
296204
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15/08/2013
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Approval date [1]
296204
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22/08/2013
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Ethics approval number [1]
296204
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13/STH/105
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Summary
Brief summary
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient which is not produced in humans and consequently must be obtained through dietary sources. Vitamin C is required in all body tissues for optimal activity of a number of essential biosynthetic and regulatory enzymes. We are particularly interested in the role that vitamin C may play in immunity and fertility, through enhancement of white blood cell (neutrophil) and sperm function. Kiwifruit are an outstanding commonly available source of vitamin C. We have recently carried out human intervention studies investigating the bioavailability of kiwifruit-derived vitamin C. We found that two kiwifruit per day were required to saturate plasma and thus provide “optimal” vitamin C levels. Neutrophil and seminal vitamin C levels were also increased significantly with two kiwifruit per day. Furthermore, we have shown that kiwifruit-derived vitamin C has equivalent bioavailability to synthetic vitamin C supplements. The aim of our current study is to investigate the effects of kiwifruit-derived vitamin C on neutrophil and sperm function. We will supplement young men low in vitamin C with two kiwifruit per day for one month and measure neutrophil and sperm function before and after intervention. Specifically, we will determine the effects of the intervention on neutrophil cell death, bacterial killing, formation of extracellular traps and neutrophil chemotaxis. We will also determine the effects of the intervention on specific sperm parameters such as viability, motility, agglutination, mitochondrial function, markers of oxidative stress, and chromatin structure. The vitamin C status of the participants’ blood plasma will be monitored weekly for the duration of the study. Overall, the proposed study will provide valuable information as to how vitamin C affects neutrophil and sperm function and thus potentially impact on immunity and fertility.
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Trial website
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Trial related presentations / publications
Enhanced human neutrophil vitamin C status, chemotaxis and oxidant generation following dietary supplementation with vitamin C-rich SunGold kiwifruit. Bozonet SM, Carr AC, Pullar JM, Vissers MC. Nutrients. 2015 Apr 9;7(4):2574-88. doi: 10.3390/nu7042574.
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Public notes
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Contacts
Principal investigator
Name
42594
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Prof Margreet Vissers
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Address
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University of Otago, Christchurch
2 Riccarton Avenue
PO Box 4345
Christchurch 8140
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Country
42594
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New Zealand
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Phone
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64 3 364 1524
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Fax
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Email
42594
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[email protected]
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Contact person for public queries
Name
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Anitra Carr
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Address
42595
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University of Otago, Christchurch
2 Riccarton Avenue
PO Box 4345
Christchurch 8140
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Country
42595
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New Zealand
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Phone
42595
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64 3 364 0649
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Fax
42595
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Email
42595
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[email protected]
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Contact person for scientific queries
Name
42596
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Anitra Carr
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Address
42596
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University of Otago, Christchurch
2 Riccarton Avenue
PO Box 4345
Christchurch 8140
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Country
42596
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New Zealand
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Phone
42596
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64 3 364 0649
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Fax
42596
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Email
42596
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[email protected]
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No information has been provided regarding IPD availability
What supporting documents are/will be available?
No Supporting Document Provided
Results publications and other study-related documents
Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.
Documents added automatically
Source
Title
Year of Publication
DOI
Embase
Enhanced human neutrophil vitamin C status, chemotaxis and oxidant generation following dietary supplementation with vitamin C-rich SunGold kiwifruit.
2015
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu7042574
Dimensions AI
Marginal Ascorbate Status (Hypovitaminosis C) Results in an Attenuated Response to Vitamin C Supplementation
2016
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060341
Embase
Elevated seminal plasma myeloperoxidase is associated with a decreased sperm concentration in young men.
2017
https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/andr.12327
N.B. These documents automatically identified may not have been verified by the study sponsor.
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